


Side By Side

by eerian_sadow



Series: Tri-Unity [1]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Animated (2007)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Post-Series, Resurrection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-25
Updated: 2013-01-24
Packaged: 2017-11-26 19:28:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/653642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eerian_sadow/pseuds/eerian_sadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prowl will always be by Optimus' side.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_“I’ll be right by your side.”_

The words rang through his processor repeatedly, a background soundtrack to the horrid sight of Jazz carrying Prowl’s grey shell to the rest of them and the memory of strong, slender arms pulling him out of the force field and away from the blast radius as the last Omega Clone exploded. 

His pride in his team and their accomplishments was overshadowed by the loss, and dimmed by sorrow. He could put on a façade, he discovered, but nothing could heal the broken pieces of his spark. 

There was some debate about where Prowl should be interred. The council insisted that he should be memorialized in the Hall of Heroes, displayed for all future generations to see. Jazz and the rest of the team insisted that he be interred in the traditional ninja way, beneath Yoketron’s dojo and near the Well of Allsparks. Until an agreement was reached, Prowl was kept in the small medbay inside Omega Supreme with Optimus as his silent guardian.

Optimus was hiding and he knew it, but he couldn’t face anyone else right now. The loss was too fresh and his grief still to raw and painful. Losing Elita-1 had been hard, but losing Prowl was agony. He hadn’t realized how much the ninja meant to him until his world came crashing down with the sight of his greyed out frame.

Wearily, he set the stool Ratchet had left for him down next to Prowl’s bier and sat down heavily. He bowed his head over his friend’s corpse. “You said you’d be by my side in battle, but I would have faced them all alone if it meant you were here now.”

There was no answer, and he hadn’t expected one. There were, it seemed, no miracles left for this team.

Long minutes stretched into long hours. Finally exhaustion and grief took hold and forced Optimus into recharge.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“Optimus?” The voice and a gentle touch to his shoulder brought him back out of recharge sometime later, but he was still so tired that it didn’t process. With a disgruntled noise, Optimus burrowed against the plating under his cheek plates and tried to slip back into recharge. “Optimus, wake up.”

“I’m tired, Prowl. Five more klicks. _Please._ ” The voice chuckled and his processor continued to boot back up despite his attempts to go back into recharge. After a few moments, Optimus shot upright and looked at the mech on the bier. “Prowl?!”

The ninja, no longer the ash grey of deactivation, smiled. “I’m here, Optimus.”

The prime reached out with one hand and laid it tentatively on the warm metal of Prowl’s chest plates. “But you were deactivated. Jazz said you gave your spark to power the force field. How did you…?”

Prowl laid a hand over Optimus’. “I don’t know. I thought it was my time. But I _am_ here.”

Impulsively, Optimus used his free arm to scoop the ninja up into a hug. The black and gold mech returned the fierce embrace with equal enthusiasm. 

“We have to tell the others,” Optimus said after several minutes of holding Prowl tightly. “Jazz especially.”

The ninja nodded. “They need to know.”

Slowly, unwillingly, the prime drew back and let Prowl go. He wanted nothing more than to stay there and hold the other mech forever. As they stood up, the ninja gave him another smile.

“You know, I never thought that dying and being resurrected would be something we would have in common.”

Despite the strange state of being in between grief, relief and confusion he was feeling, Optimus laughed.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Ratchet sighed loudly as he pulled a scanner away from Prowl. He shook his head at the questioning looks from the other members of the team. “I’ve run every scan that it’s possible to run in the last three hours. There’s just nothing there that could explain his resurrection.”

“Ratchet,” Prowl’s voice was soft. “Does it really matter? Perhaps it’s best if you just accept it as the miracle it is and let it go.”

“Yeah,” Sari agreed from her perch in Jazz’s hand. “It’s not any different from the time I brought back Optimus with my key. You should just be glad that he’s here.”

The medic frowned. “Well, there wasn’t a key this time and the council is going to want to know exactly what happened when we tell them Prowl was miraculously resurrected.”

“We’ll deal with that when we tell them,” Optimus said, stepping up to the berth Prowl was sitting on and resting a hand on the ninja’s shoulder. “Right now, all that matters is that he’s back. Everything else can wait.”

Prowl raised a hand and rested it on Optimus’ wrist. “Yes, it can. As long as I’m uninjured?”

Ratchet glanced at their hands and both mechs immediately pulled apart. He gave them an amused huff. “Young bots. You’re fine, Prowl; go get some rest. You’ll need it, if I don’t manage to keep the science team away.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Despite the exhaustion creeping through his circuitry and into his processor, Optimus found he couldn’t recharge. It was just too much to take in all at once. Prowl had died in Detroit, and they had all been grieving and maybe even started to accept that the ninja was gone. Then he had been resurrected here on Cybertron just before Megatron’s trial, sending his emotions spinning in a hundred directions.

He was glad—desperately glad—that Prowl wasn’t dead. He was elated that he might actually have a chance to say all the things that he had let go unsaid. He was also conflicted because he was still trying to grieve, because Prowl’s presence now didn’t make the initial loss go away.

He wondered if the others felt the same way, but he wasn’t quite brave enough to ask.

Instead, he walked through the corridors of Omega Supreme in the hopes that he could either calm his thoughts enough to recharge or exhaust himself enough that he couldn’t fight his programming anymore. He had talked to the large mech a bit at first, but Omega was in recharge now—along with the rest of the team. Optimus wasn’t sure if he was glad no one else was around or if he desperately wanted company.

“You’ve walked by twice now.” Prowl’s voice startled him out of his thoughts. Looking around the corridor, Optimus spotted the ninja standing near a viewport, hidden in the shadows. “Are you all right?”

“Just thinking too much.” The prime walked over to the viewport and stopped next to the ninja. “Didn’t Ratchet tell you to rest?”

“He did.” Prowl gave him a small smile. “But apparently being dead for an extended amount of time makes it hard to shut down.”

“No,” Optimus said softly. “Not just being dead for an extended amount of time. It passes after the first few times you actually come back online again.”

The ninja’s smile faded. “I’m sorry. This must be bringing up things you would rather not remember.”

“Surprisingly, I haven’t really even been thinking about that.” The prime rested his head on the viewport wearily. “There are so many other things on my processor instead.”

“If you need to talk about it…” Prowl reached out and rested a hand on Optimus’ forearm.

Optimus shook his head. “No. I think this is something I have to work out on my own. But thanks.”

The ninja nodded, and then stepped out of the shadows to stand closer to the larger mech. “You’re welcome.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Ten days after his resurrection, the science team had Prowl in the medbay again. They had wanted to move him into their own facility, but everyone refused. Prowl was willing to allow them to study him, but only in an environment where he was comfortable. Optimus was relieved at that; he was afraid that if the science team took the ninja to their facility, he would never see him again.

And he was not prepared to lose the other mech again so soon.

The science team’s findings repeated Ratchet’s. None of them had any idea how Prowl had been resurrected, none of their tests showed any abnormalities in the ninja’s systems , and—possibly most importantly—nothing turned up a reason for him to have been brought back. The team was unhappy with their results—Perceptor especially—but they all agreed that nothing else could be found out without dismantling Prowl completely, a suggestion that had been met with growled threats and weapons drawn. After almost two Earth days of poking, prodding and scanning, the science team left Omega Supreme’s small medbay with no more information that they had come in with.

Prowl flopped backward onto the medical berth, visibly exhausted. “By the Allspark, I thought they’d never leave.”

Optimus gave him a weak smile in return. “I was afraid they would really try to take you with them.”

“I was confident that you wouldn’t allow them to violate my wishes.” The ninja returned his smile. “Assuming, of course, that I couldn’t have fought them off long enough to escape on my own.”

“And even if you both failed,” Ratchet interrupted, “Omega would have just closed the door. No one leaves this medbay unless I say they can.”

“Of course, Ratchet,” Prowl agreed neutrally. 

The medic glared a bit. “Go on and get some rest. Without them here poking at your internals, there’s no reason for you to still be here.”

“Yes, Ratchet,” the black and gold mech said dutifully. He sat up and eased his way off the medical berth. 

“Optimus, make sure he actually gets some fuel and recharge. Meditation won’t do slag for overworked systems.” Ratchet continued scowling, but expression was obviously forced.

The prime nodded. “I will Ratchet.”

“Good. Now both of you get. I’m due for a stasis nap myself.” Neither mech was surprised when the medic turned away without a proper goodbye. It was just his way.

Prowl gestured for Optimus to precede him out of the room. Once they were in the hallway, he gave the prime a small smile. “You really don’t have to escort me to my quarters. I have every intention of refueling and then recharging into sometime next week.”

“Next week, huh?” Optimus gave him a grin. “Sounds like you’ve been taking lessons from Sari.”

“Perhaps I’m just that tired.” The ninja gave the younger mech a tired smile in reply. “I seem to recall you having a similar response after Ratchet was finished with you.”

The prime nodded. Ratchet’s response at his resurrection—once they were away from public eyes, anyway—had been exhausting. “He definitely went easier on you than me. Maybe he’s just getting used to this miraculous resurrection idea.”

“I hope not too used to it. It’s not an experience I wish to repeat.”

“Me either.” Optimus shook his head, using the physical action to remove the negative thoughts that were creeping into his processor. He had better things to think about than Prowl dying again. “Are you recharging any better?”

“Mostly.” The ninja’s tone clearly said that he didn’t want to discuss it further. “I appreciate your concern, but—“

“I know.” The prime put a hand on the other mech’s shoulder. “I do understand. It isn’t easy to talk about. I won’t force you. But I will stay for a while, if it will help.”

“It might, yes.” Prowl gave him a small smile as they paused outside the door to his quarters. “Thank you.”


	2. Chapter 2

It had been peaceful, soothing to sit with Prowl and drink energon without the impending need to be somewhere else or even an expectation of conversation. Prowl was content to simply sit and refuel and enjoy quiet companionship. Optimus couldn’t remember a time when he had felt more relaxed and he was disappointed when he realized that the ninja was drifting into recharge at the table.

Carefully, the prime moved around the table to Prowl’s side. He took Prowl’s mostly empty cube from the ninja’s tired fingers and set it aside. “Come on, Prowl. Let’s get you to bed.”

The black and gold mech nodded and let the younger mech help him up. He leaned heavily into Optimus’ side as the moved the few steps across the small room to the recharge berth. The ninja was almost completely offline when Optimus lifted him up enough that he could lay out to rest. The prime couldn’t fight back a soft smile at the show of trust.

“Don’t go,” Prowl whispered tiredly as Optimus turned away from the berth. “Don’t want to be alone.”

Hesitantly, the younger mech turned back. Prowl was staring at him through recharge-darkened optics, expression pleading. He hadn’t ever seen the older mech look so vulnerable before—vulnerable, yes, but not like this. “I’ll stay, Prowl.”

Prowl stretched one hand out to him, and it occurred to him that ninja didn’t just want to have company as he fell offline; he wanted to wake up with someone too. It was a sentiment Optimus could understand; waking up alone meant that maybe you weren’t where you thought you were after all, and maybe not as alive as you thought either. He stepped closer to the berth and took Prowl’s hand.

“I’ll stay.”

The ninja gave him a tired smile and finally allowed himself to fall offline. Once Optimus was sure the other mech was well into recharge, he picked him up again and moved him over a bit. Once Prowl was settled with enough room on the berth for the prime to lay down on as well, the younger mech climbed up next to him and began cycling down for recharge.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Optimus came back online to the feeling of fingers stroking his windshield. It was an unusual sensation, something he couldn’t remember experiencing since before they had lost Elita-1 on Archa Seven. Given enough time, it could probably have lulled him back into recharge.

The weight he noticed on his shoulder a few moments later reminded him of why that might be a bad idea, though. It would probably already be awkward enough for Prowl to have come back online with Optimus in his berth; being stuck there with him for an indeterminate amount of time would be much worse. The prime activated his optics and looked down at the other mech.

He couldn’t see Prowl’s face, thanks to their positioning and the ninja’s elaborate helm, but the smaller mech’s posture was relaxed and he seemed quite at ease. As Optimus looked, he realized their legs were also tangled together, and he was more than a little embarrassed by the intimacy of the situation. 

Prowl shifted as Optimus’ systems sped up in response to his embarrassment. The younger mech almost flinched as the ninja’s optics looked him over carefully.

“I didn’t expect you to stay the whole night,” Prowl said. His expression was softer than Optimus had expected, and that was a relief. “I would have thought you would prefer your own berth to sharing such a small space with someone else.”

“I’m sorry. It was forward of me and it won’t happen again.” The prime started to untangle himself and move away, but Prowl tightened his legs around Optimus’ thigh and hooked his fingers under the edge of his chest plating.

“Optimus, stop.” Prowl’s expression shifted into a frown. “Why are you trying to run away?”

The larger mech tried to find words to encompass what he was feeling, but he couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t irrevocably change things between them. He shook his head sadly. “Just let go, Prowl. It’s better if we don’t talk about this one.”

“Are you that afraid of letting things change between us?”

“What?” Prowl’s words, a distorted echo of his earlier thoughts, were like a punch to the face.

“Just go.” The ninja untangled his legs from the prime’s and released his grip on the red chest plates. He pulled away from the larger mech and turned to face the wall. “Obviously I was reading your signals wrong.”

Slowly, Optimus climbed out of Prowl’s berth. The cold feeling of rejection settled into his fuel tank like bad oil, which seemed ridiculous in light of the fact that there was nothing to be rejected over. Slowly, he made his way across the ninja’s quarters and to the door.

He paused before he opened it. “I’m sorry, Prowl.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“So… what’s wrong with Prowl?” 

Optimus looked away from the supplies he was inventorying and down at Sari. He should have known she would be the first to notice something was off with the ninja, but he still wasn’t prepared to answer her question. “What do you mean?”

“You have to have noticed, Boss Bot.” The techno-organic used her jetpack to launch herself to the top of the crate in front of him. “Since the day after the science team left, he’s been moping around like someone kicked his cat.”

He sighed. Sari was right of course; Prowl was unhappy, and it was very much his fault. “Prowl and I… had a disagreement.”

Not entirely accurate, but true enough. He hoped.

“Oh. So is that why you’ve been down too?” She peered up at him sadly.

She had noticed that he was miserable too? He must not have been hiding it nearly as well as he thought. “…Yeah.”

“What are you going to do about it? There’s no way you can work together like this.” She gestured at, presumably, the frown on his face.

“You’re right. I just don’t know what to do to fix it.” Optimus sighed again, and rubbed one hand over his face.

“You might start with talking.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

An hour later, he had worked up the courage to go looking for Prowl. He wasn’t terribly surprised to find the ninja in the medbay taking inventory of Ratchet’s supplies. Optimus’ spark ached when he saw the other mech’s slumped shoulders and defeated posture.

“If Sari sent you to cheer me up, you might as well leave.” The black and gold mech didn’t even turn around as he spoke.

His sparkache doubled at the ninja’s words. He hadn’t expected to be dismissed like that, or for it to hurt so much. “Sari didn’t send me; I came to apologize. But I understand if you don’t want to hear it.”

“Optimus wait.” Prowl’s voice stopped him as he turned in the doorway. “I thought you were Jazz; Sari has been sending everyone in to try and cheer me up. Please don’t go.”

Optimus turned back slowly. “Are you sure, Prowl?”

“As sure as I was that I didn’t really want you to leave the other morning.” The older mech crossed the room and put a hand on the younger mech’s arm. “Please, tell me what’s wrong. I need to know why you ran.”

Carefully, Optimus moved Prowl’s hand into his and gripped it tightly. “I’m scared, Prowl. When you died, I realized so many things that I hadn’t seen before. And now that you’re back, I’m afraid that I’ll lose you completely if I act on any of them. It’s selfish, but I love you so much that I can’t lose you again.”

The ninja gave him a rueful smile. “And I was afraid that I was coming on too strong, after finally admitting that I felt more than lust and infatuation. We make a nicely matched pair, don’t we?”

The prime relaxed as Prowl spoke. Tension he didn’t realize he had been suffering eased out of his neck cables and shoulder joints and the dread that had settled into his fuel tank dissipated almost instantly. If he could have, he would have wept with joy at the knowledge that Prowl had feelings for him too.

Quickly, not giving himself a chance to think it over or change his mind, Optimus bent down and kissed the ninja.

Prowl made a pleased noise at the action and the prime’s spark lifted at the sound. Even as he lost himself in the sensation of the ninja’s lip components moving against his, Optimus wondered if something between them could work out after all.

The older mech gave a contented sigh when they broke apart and squeezed Optimus’ hand. “You don’t have to run, Optimus. When I said would be by your side, I meant for more than just battle.”

“Thank you,” the younger mech whispered. He pulled Prowl close and, for the first time in vorns, allowed himself the hope that he wouldn’t be alone for the rest of his life after all.


End file.
